page_title: Charles Haviland Mekeel
section_title: St. Louis Bears
hierarchical_section_title: Charles Haviland Mekeel / St. Louis Bears
caption_attribution_description: Provisional postal stamp issued by the postmaster of St. Louis, Missouri, in 1845-46, valued at ten cents and printed in black on pale green paper. It shows the Coat of arms of Missouri, supported by two bears, with the motto "Salus populi suprema lex esto" ("the will of the people shall be the supreme law"). The stamp has been used and has been cancelled with two pen strokes. Held and digitised by the British Library.
context_page_description: Charles Haviland Mekeel, of St. Louis, Missouri, was a well-known stamp dealer and editor. He figured prominently in the 1895 “find” of the St. Louis Postmaster Provisionals, which solved problems related to their authenticity.
context_section_description: Mekeel was involved in the study and authentication of the 1895 discovery of St. Louis Postmaster Provisionals, which verified the plating of the provisionals and the authenticity of the 20 cent value. Based on his study of the provisionals, Mekeel wrote The History of the Postage Stamps of the St. Louis Postmaster, 1845-1847 in 1895.
caption: Postmaster Provisional, St. Louis 1845
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